O.D. to O.D.

EVALUATE YOUR OPTICAL

MEETING CONSUMER DEMANDS AND NEEDS LEADS TO A SUCCESSFUL OPTICAL

Scot Morris
O.D., F.A.A.O.
Chief Optometric Editor

TAKE A walk out to your optical. Do you like what you see? I am in the optical side of the business dozens of times every day. Maybe because I was an optician before I went to optometry school, I have a different perspective on the optical. In my eyes, it is a place to make people look and feel good by selecting the right frame with the lenses that I prescribed to make people see well. Sure, it is a great source of revenue. But in the end, if it is really about what is best for the consumer, we have to view the optical as a place that has what our consumers need.

SERVING CONSUMERS

Notice I use the word “consumer.” This is because once he or she walks out of the exam lane, he or she is a retail consumer — not a patient.

Earlier this week, one of my favorite frame reps was in the office. Though I am not our principal “buyer” any longer, I still like to check out what the new cool stuff is — and what we are probably about to buy. The experience got me thinking about this month’s column. What exactly should we be buying to make our consumers look and feel good? The answer is simple and very challenging at the same time.

MEET DEMAND

First the simple part — whatever they want to buy! This means we have to actually know what the consumer wants to buy. This is not the same as what I, or my buyer, wants to purchase. It is about the consumer.

Simply put, there are two ways to find out what the consumer wants. No. 1: Ask him or her! No. 2: Keep track of what is being purchased, and buy more of it.

Sure, there are trends and fads, but our retail business is based largely on the buying preferences of our practice demographic. If we move a lot of high-end fashion, then we should buy high-end fashion. If we sell a lot of conservative traditional men’s metals, then we should buy enough of that to have a good selection for those who want to buy them. Some want fashion, some want function, and most want both. In the end, buying is about having what we can sell and what our consumers want to buy.

PUT IN THE WORK

All this takes a little work. Take a look at the optical. Does it all look the same? Is there something for everyone in the optical consumer demographic? Do you hear, “You don’t have anything I want,” from your consumer? If so, you need to change your inventory to match your consumers’ needs. This will likely require an inventory matrix and a detailed buying plan.

About 50% or more of your revenue comes from the optical. Are you spending 50% of your time figuring out how to improve it? If not, maybe it is time to read up on this month’s issue and schedule time to work on your optical business. OM.